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The stockings are stuffed, the Christmas tree is filled with lights and ornaments, the gifts are waiting to be unwrapped. In the midst of the holiday chaos, may we never forget the reason for the season---The birth of Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate Christmas, there is nothing in any store shelf that I want. The gifts that I wish and long for are good health, happiness, forgiveness and peace, and I wish the same thing for you and your family, my dear minions.

For those who are celebrating alone or far away from family and friends, fret not for love knows no boundary nor distance. We celebrate in our hearts.

After walking Skyler in the morning, I somehow found myself Skype-ing with the boyfriend while I was inside a textile jungle that seemingly resembles my walk-in closet. I was initially looking for a pair of boyfriend jeans a.k.a. i-think-i-overdid-it-with-the-fries jeans to wear while I do some errands for the day, but somehow, I ended up exhuming a pile of old clothes. One by one, I started picking up a piece of clothing and told the boyfriend what memories I have of it, whether they be good or bad.

The boyfriend and I have such a great relationship going on but we definitely hit a couple of rough patches along the way. Okay---more like black hole, lost into the abyss patches. So all the clothes that were from any black hole era have remained in the deepest, darkest corner of the closet until now. I realize that holding on to these clothes seemed like I was letting bad experiences linger in my life. So what's a girl to do?

Out with the old, in with the new! Three bags full of black hole memories (can you believe this was just from one morning of rummaging through stuff? I still have a mountain of them to let go of!)...off to Goodwill you go!

My sister once told me that if I did some cleaning, good things would come my way. I think she just told me that to convince me to clean my pig sty of an apartment but hey, I'll buy the whole Feng Shui thing too. This year has been rather interesting, albeit antagonizing so I want to have a great head start for the incoming new year.

I got my pedicure done, I dropped off the black hole memories at Goodwill and I even managed to drop by the vet's office to get Skyler's shots updated! I was happy, Sky was not.

You can't change the past. It's history. No matter how much you try to rehash the whole thing in your mind, it ain't gonna change...not one bit. Most of us lose so much time thinking about the past that we fail to see and appreciate the magical things that are happening right here, right now. Sometimes we just need to let it go, my friend. Don't you dare sing that Frozen song.

You know what this means for me, right?

It's time to go shopping for some new clothes. Oh yeah, you saw that coming.

You've gotten the Christmas and New Year's party invites but you haven't found the perfect outfit yet. You're thinking, you will probably bump into your hot co-worker whom you've had a crush on since the day you borrowed his stapler or coincidentally, be in the same party with your ex and his new girlfriend (you know, the one who looks like a dude without all that make-up on). Or maybe you just want to look cute for the sake of looking cute, right?

My point is, dress up. Dress up good!

For the ladies, glammin' it up during the holidays is just the way to go. Don't be afraid to show some skin---I said some, so don't go hooker-style on me. Mmmk? Mmmk.

You can opt for a wrap dress if you're gonna make a dash from the office to the party venue. All you need to do is swap your office heels to parteyyyy heels.

Diane von Furstenberg

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Pick a festive color but don't get too crazy with the matchy-matchy. Red is always a great option for the holiday season so if you're going for a red dress, pair it up with some black, silver or gold stilettos (anything but red!).

Dolce and Gabbana

via neimanmarcus.com

Ready to kick the party ensemble up a notch? Be the walking disco ball and go for beads and sequins!

Petra

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Want to do separates? You can go for a simple crop top and match it with a ball or pleated skirt. Remember to get a crop top that sits low enough to cover the navel so you don't have to suck that post-holiday-grub gutt in! If the top is a little bit on the shorter side, make sure the skirt makes up for the gap.

Alice+Olivia

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Don't feel like wearing a dress? Grab some pants and throw in a moto jacket---you're good to go!

A.L.C.

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But if you really can't help yourself and be the narcissist that you are belle of the ball...by all means, go all out!

Oscar de la Renta

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Why should women have all the fun? Our gents should dress to the nines as well!

If you don't want to wear a suit and tie, opt for a sport shirt that has a silk blend or a textured finish. The sheen effect will make you look like you made the extra effort to dress up! Ha!

See how this solid blue sport shirt pops? It's all about the sheen!

Dsquared

via neimanmarcus.com

Paisley, stripes, floral---don't be scared to play around with prints!

Robert Graham

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Sometimes you don't want to think about what shirt to wear. Let a double-breasted coat do all the work for you!

Brunello Cucinelli

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Bring on the velvet and let's call it a party! Check this lovely velvet sport coat in dark teal.

Giorgio Armani

via neimanmarcus.com

And just because I'm obsessed with men's shoes...

Ermenegildo Zegna Penny loafers with brogue detail. I am so in love with the burnish detail (that part where the leather around the toe is darker)!

via neimanmarcus.com

Oxfords and Brogues are versatile pieces so you can always dress it up or dress it down.

via neimanmarcus.com

Boots don't always have to be casual and rugged-looking. You can still wear them for more formal events so invest in a boot with a polished leather.

Prada

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If you wanna go more casual, you can do sneakers. But please, no puffy white tennis shoes---unless you're on your way to do a Jane Fonda workout then okay...Sashay shante away, my good man.

Giorgio Armani Woven Leather Sneaker

via neimanmarcus.com

Tom Ford Leather High Top Sneaker

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The velvet version is equally delicioso!

via neimanmarcus.com

Oh and by the way, our friends Oscar, Tom, Miuccia or Giorgio ain't gonna do much for you if you don't SMILE. If you don't smile, you'll just be the Grinch with the most impeccable taste in fashion. It's the holidays, take this time to be nice and friendly. Being a genuinely nice person will be the best gift that you could ever give to anyone.

My two brothers are visiting in Southern California so we wanted to take them some place where they could get a good view of LA, in all of its wondrous smoggy splendor. Remember that time when I went to watch Hall and Oates at the Greek? Well if you go further up the road, it'll take you right to the Griffith Observatory.

While the rest of the country is having some kind of polar vortex or crazy thunderstorms, this is how LA looks like in early December.

The Griffith Observatory sits high on the top of a mountain so it seems like it's floating among the clouds.

If you're like me and you're too lazy to hike up to the Hollywood sign, this place would be the best bet for you. You can even see the sign right when you pull into the parking lot. (Parking is free!)

But if you're all about dat fitness, feel free to come with your hiking threads. They've got trails all around and some lead all the way up to the observatory. The trail (pictured below) is paved well so I reckon it's not that hard of a climb.

You can find a bust of James Dean in commemoration of the famous movie, Rebel Without A Cause, that shot a lot of their scenes on location.

The place isn't too big so you can actually cover the whole area in probably just 45 minutes, add an hour if you're planning go inside the Planetarium (tickets are like $7/person). The observatory showcases astronomy exhibits so don't be surprised to see a lot of fifth graders marching along with their chaperones.

Love the iron doors!

Once you get through the doors, you'll see a huge pendulum hanging from the Ballin Ceiling Mural. The pendulum swings back and forth and hits the little pegs one by one, not because the pendulum is swinging in a different direction but because the pegs move as the earth rotates. So basically WE are moving while the pendulum is constantly swinging in just one direction. I am actually just being repetitive for my own sake, not yours. My brain has turned into mush...Oh, science!

The Ballin Ceiling Mural

Exhibits are easy to explore and are very educational, so don't forget to bring the youngins!

A brass statue of Albert Einstein.

Umm...Excuse me, Mr. Einstein.

But I need to phone home.

It was one of my beloved brother's birthday too so we headed back down to Beverly Hills to get our sassy grub on. We chose to go and try out Hakkasan, it's been in the neck of our woods since last year and we've heard good reviews about the place.

It would be sort of difficult to spot the restaurant if you're not too familiar with the Hakkasan logo so once you get to Beverly Blvd., look out for a single character with a neon blue background (pictured below) and voila, you have arrived! Or you can just follow the paparazzis taking pictures of A-list celebs like Paris Hilton, Charlize Theron, Fergie and Chef Gordon Ramsey popping in and out of the restaurant's entrance.

It was a Thursday night so we made reservations at an earlier time to avoid the weekend rush. I know it's technically not the weekend yet but that's how a lot of people here roll, they just bypass to Friday. We were immediately seated at our table by a friendly hostess and we were able to put in our orders with some great recommendations from our super patient and awesome server, David.Sup, David! Yup, he did an impeccable job so he should have a little bit of recognition in my humble blog :)

I explored a little while waiting for our food. I couldn't help but admire the Chinese-inspired wooden dividers, it gives you enough privacy but doesn't make the space too confined.

This is the long narrow hallway that leads to the dining area and the bar.

The restaurant has two bars, this being the smaller one with a minimalist design.

The women's restroom with marble sinks and floors. There are no paper towels, only hand towels.

They've got Molton Brown for their hand wash and hand lotion. You best believe I washed my hands like five times...just because! Ha!

Enough exploring...let's get our Cantonese grub on!

Crispy Duck Salad with pomegranate, pine nut and shallot. This is one of their popular dishes in the menu. I definitely don't fancy the gamey taste of duck but this tasted pretty darn good.

Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef with merlot. I like how they cut the meat down to almost bite-size!

Egg and Scallion Fried Rice. Nothing really special, just like any other fried rice.

Hakka Noodle with mushrooms and Chinese chive

Jasmine Tea Smoked Pork Short Ribs. Definitely a memorable dish, so good that we ordered another one.

Hakkasan is pretty synonymous with their cocktails so I had to try one. By the way, ONE is the magic number when drinking with family in public places because it's just not that great to get shhh-faced in front of the 'rents and siblings---but at home? That's a whole different ball game, my friends.

This drink is called The Hakka withBelvedere vodka, Tozai junmai sake, coconut, passion fruit and lychee juice. Holy leotards, Batman! This is one of the most refreshing cocktails that I've ever had---like, in my life. It's too good that you can easily down a couple of these but this will definitely get you barely crawlin' by the end of the night!

My bro's drink, Green Destiny, with Zubrowka Bison Grass vodka, cucumber, kiwi and Granny Smith apple juice. This was a refreshing cocktail too but I still think The Hakka takes the prize.

My other bro's drink, Lychee Martini, with Double Cross vodka, Giffard lychee liqueur, grapefruit bitters and lychee juice. This was good but martinis in general are just a little bit too strong for me.

Happy Birthday to myNo. 1 nemesis! We make a pretty good team when we're not busy scratching each other's eyes out or laughing at each other's fashion blunders!

David (our awesome server) was kind enough to surprise my brother with one of their desserts, the Chocolate Mandarin. You pour the chocolate sauce in and then smash the hard chocolate with a spoon.

We were all too stuffed to order separate desserts but the birthday celebrant and I just wanted to try this fella right here. Coconut Panna Cotta with rum-roasted pineapple, pistachio financier, pistachio gelato. This was absolutely divine!

Hakkasan is known to be a hotspot so the bill can easily get mighty steep---but the food and drinks were sumptuous and the staff was attentive, friendly and efficient so it was definitely well worth it says the girl who didn't foot the bill.

The fun bunch.

Time to stumble our way back home but let me do a quick Fruit Fashion Files. I didn't want to think too much about my outfit so I took a black short-sleeve kimono dress, paired it up with a black belted coat with gold zippers and topped off the ensemble with some tan-colored cutout booties with tassels. Easy peasy!

Coat by Mango; Dress by Zara; Booties by Prada

Ugh, I'm finishing up this blog post and all I'm thinking about is that Hakka drink. *drool*